1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid container capable standing alone and suitable for containing liquid nourishment, such as intestinal nourishment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, intestinal nourishment is a calorific food containing protein and fat in high concentrations. Intestinal nourishment is placed on the market in pouches containing about 1000 ml or about 1500 ml of intestinal nourishment.
Intestinal nourishment is prepared according to the condition of a patient and hence there are a variety of articles of intestinal nourishment. Usually, patient""s name is written on a surface of a pouch containing intestinal nourishment beside the name of the intestinal nourishment indicated on the surface of the pouch to give rightly a predetermined article of intestinal nourishment prescribed for a specified patient to the specified patient.
As shown in FIG. 7, pouches 30 hermetically containing intestinal nourishment are piled on a tray 32 included in a cart 31 provided with casters, the cart 31 loaded with the pouches 30 is carried to hospital rooms and the pouches 30 containing intestinal nourishment are distributed to patients.
If an article of intestinal nourishment improper for the patient is given to the patient, it is possible that the patient is unable to digest the article of intestinal nourishment, the patient suffers from diarrhea or the concentration of patient""s blood increases. The patient is supplemented with water after giving intestinal nourishment to the patient to prevent the patient from diarrhea and increase in blood concentration. In some cases, the patient is supplemented by an additional liquid medicine or an examination liquid depending on the condition of the patient during or after giving the intestinal nourishment to the patient.
As shown in FIG. 8, the conventional pouch 30 hermetically containing intestinal nourishment includes a container formed from a laminate film and having a pair of gussets 3 and a pair of side walls 2, and a spout 105 having a flange 7 attached to one end of the container and a pipe connected to the flange. This pouch 30 is incapable of standing alone because the center fold 3a of the gusset 3 the end part 7a of the flange 7, and the gusset cannot be formed in a width substantially equal to that of the side walls and hence the bottom wall is formed inevitably in an elongate, rectangular shape.
Since the conventional pouches 30 hermetically containing intestinal nourishment are incapable of standing alone, the pouches 30 cannot be loaded in a standing position on the tray 32 of the cart 31. Therefore, the pouches 30 are piled up on the tray 32 of the cart 31 for transportation.
When picking up a desired pouch 30 containing an article of intestinal nourishment proper for the patient from the tray 32 of the cart 31 after carrying the pouches 30 respectively hermetically containing articles of intestinal nourishment to a destination, the desired pouch 30 can be easily picked up without trouble if the same is in an upper part of a pile of the pouches 30. If the desired correct pouch 30 is in a lower part of the pile of the pouches 30, the same cannot be picked up unless the other pouches 30 overlying the desired pouch 30 are removed.
Thus, work for picking up the desired pouch 30 from the tray 32 of the cart 31 needs time and labor and it is possible that a wrong pouch 30 containing an article of intestinal nourishment not prepared for the patient is given to the patient.
It is desirable to use the empty pouch 30 for supplementing the patient by water after giving the patient intestinal nourishment. However, since the pouch 30 is provided with a single spout and a tube connected to the spout, water cannot be poured through the spout into the pouch 30 and another container containing water must be used for supplementing the patient by water.
The present invention has been made in view of the aforesaid problems and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a liquid container for containing a liquid, capable of being carried in a standing position and of being used for containing another liquid after the same has been emptied of the liquid initially contained therein.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a liquid container comprises: a container body formed from a laminate film in a shape of a bag, and having a pair of side walls and a pair of gussets extended between opposite side edges of the pair of side walls on the opposite sides of the side walls, respectively, each of the gussets being capable of being folded in two along a fold line inward; a mouthpiece provided with a flange attached to an open end part of the container body, and at least two spouts formed integrally with the flange, the flange having end surfaces on the side of the gussets and side surfaces on the side of the side walls; wherein the folded gussets are extended from the end surfaces to the side surfaces of the flange of the mouthpiece so that folds of the gussets folded in two are positioned on the side surfaces, respectively.
Since each folded gusset folded in two along a fold is extended from the end surface to the side surface of the flange so that the fold thereof is positioned on the side surface, the gussets can be formed in a width substantially equal to that of the side walls and a substantially square bottom wall can be formed when the gussets are extended and hence the liquid container is able to stand alone.
Since the mouthpiece is provided with at least the two spouts, one of the spout can be used for replenishing the liquid container with water even if a tube is connected to the other spout to supply the intestinal nourishment to the user.